Method of making combined catcher/projector for aerial projectiles

ABSTRACT

A catcher/projector for aerial projectiles comprises a resilient mesh pocket whose peripheral confines are delimited by opposed pairs of rigid and elastic members. The rigid members comprise manually manipulatable handles while the desired pocket memory is achieved by an interweavement of the elastic members with the mesh. One method for making the combined catcher/projector is based on a unit-handled assemblage of closely spaced handle pairs which are secured to an indefinite length mesh at spaced locations therealong. Severance of the mesh intermediate each closely spaced pair of handles then results in a plurality of mesh connected handle pairs which are then interconnected by elongate elastic strands interweaved with the mesh. The untensioned length of the elastic strands is less than that of the mesh with which it is interweaved to define the pocket memory.

United States Patent 1 Dahl [ 1 Apr. 3, 1973 [54] METHOD OF MAKING COMBINED CATCHER/PROJECTOR FOR AERIAL PROJECTILES [75] Inventor: Rulon R. Dahl, West Jordan, Utah [73] Assignee: Killebrew, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah [22] Filed: June 24, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 156,281

[52] US. Cl. ..29/417, 29/428, 273/96 [51] Int. Cl. ..B23p 17/00 [58] Field of Search ...29/4l7, 428, 446, 526; 273/96 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,170,948 2/1916 Achershaug ..273/96 R 1,463,726 7/1923 Ruttmann ..273/96 R 1,544,312 6/1925 Gray ..29/446 UX 2,281,017 4/1942 Barnhardt ..29/446 2,835,494 5/1958 Hull ..273/96 R 3,262,195 7/1966 Andersen et al ..29/4l7 X 3,314,409 4/1967 Olson 273/96 R X 3,557,436 l/1971 l-lodes ..29/428 3,674,187 7/1972 Catugno ..29/428 X Primary Examiner-Charlie T. Moon Attorney-Lynn G. Foster [57] ABSTRACT A catcher/projector for aerial projectiles comprises a resilient mesh pocket whose peripheral confines are delimited by opposed pairs of rigid and elastic members. The rigid members comprise manually manipulatable handles while the desired pocket memory is achieved by an interweavement of the elastic members with the mesh.

One method for making the combined catcher/projector is based on a unit-handled assemblage of closely spaced handle pairs which are secured to an indefinite length mesh at spaced locations therealong. Severance of the mesh intermediate each closely spaced pair of handles then results in a plurality of mesh connected handle pairs which are then interconnected by elongate elastic strands interweaved with the mesh. The untensioned length of the elastic strands is less than that of the mesh with which it is interweaved to define the pocket memory.

10 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures DOVIEL ISET BLOCK POSITIONING ASSEMBLY AND STAPLING AND GAUGING ELASTIC PACKAGING STAPLING ASSEMBLY SEVERING AND STAPLING PATENTEDAPRS I975 3,724,058

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ATTORNEY METHOD OF MAKING COMBINED C ATCIIER/ PROJ ECTOR FOR AERIAL PROJ ECTILES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Amusement devices of the general type herein disclosed are described in U. S. Pat. No. 2,835,494 and reference may be had thereto for a complete description of the manner in which the same are adapted to be used for amusement purposes.

Prior amusement devices of the type herein disclosed have not been susceptible of a substantially continuous manufacturing procedure thus resulting in a substantial labor cost as contrasted with the obviously inexpensive materialsinvolved which, basically, comprise nothing more than dowels, flexible material and elastic strands. This is due, primarily, to the number of separate assembly operations required. Exemplary are the necessity for perpendicularly related seaming operations and the subsequent assembly operations of the dowels and strands within seamed portions of the flexible material followed by the application of separate securing means to preclude relative movement between the dowels and flexible material. Accordingly, a retail price reflecting a reasonable profit margin tends to produce consumer reaction to what would appear to be an excessive price for such a simple assemblage. Furthermore, a large portionof the potential consumer market for such devices consists of pre-teen children where a difference in selling price of a few cents may well spell the difference between success and failure among this particularly seasonal and fickle market group.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The combined catcher and projector is characterized by a simplicity of construction which greatly reduces the labor costs involved in the manufacture thereof. The construction is characterized by a common type securement for joining both the flexible material, which assumes the form of a mesh, and elastic strands to the handle members. In one embodiment of the invention, the securement is by way of stapled attachment to wooden dowel handles while, in another, it is by interengagement of the mesh interstices with lands and grooves formed in a bipartite plastic handle. In the latter embodiment, the elastic strands are knotted at their ends for coaction with the lands and grooves.

The method for making the first embodiment comprises securing a backing member to two handle members in unit-handled relationship following which time a fabric mesh is stretched thereacross, the same is secured to the two handle members and the cut in between the handle members.

In the case of the plastic handles, the mesh is pre-cut and inter-engaged at closed mesh portions with lands and grooves formed on the lower halves of each of two bipartite hollow handles which are mounted on the backing assembly. The elastic strands are knotted at opposite ends and one knotted end is inserted in a groove at each end of each of the two lower handle halves. The upper handle halves are then secured to the lower halves as by adhesive bonding or the like. This procedure is repeated at a spaced location along the mesh to complete the assembly using plastic handles.

In the case of the dowel handles, the mesh is secured to the dowels by stapling. The dowels and backing assembly are positioned beneath an automatic staple gun which is mounted for linear travel along a guide way above the backing assembly whereby, upon two traversals of the staple gun along its guide way, the mesh may be secured to each dowel. The mesh is then severed between the dowels and the operation repeated at a spaced location along the mesh to produce a length of mesh interconnected at opposite ends thereof with dowel handles. After removing the dowels from the two respective backing assemblies, the elastic strands are interweaved with the mesh and stapled at opposite ends thereof to the dowels at a second stapling station which completes the assembly.

Alternatively, the backing assemblies may comprise slats of an endless belt driven to a stapling/cutting station. At said station, a given backing assembly with two handle members thereon remains in one position with mesh appropriately spanning across the two handle members while a pair of automatic staple guns and a hot wire (comprising a single assembly) staple the mesh to both handle members and sever the mesh between the handle members, respectively, during one pass of the staple/hot wire assembly along a guide assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of two catcher/projectors illustrating the manner in which the same are employed;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a catcher/projector employing dowel handles;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating the manner in which the mesh and elastic stran-s may be stapled to a dowel handle;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but illustrating a bipartite plastic handle with parts broken away for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 5 is a broken elevational view of a plastic handle;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line 7 7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of two dowel handles positioned in unit-handled relationship with a backing assembly;

FIG. 9 is a plan view thereof;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an assembly table for fabricating the catcher/projector shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective representation of the automatic staple gun and actuating assembly of FIG. 10 used to staple mesh fabric to wooden dowels;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross section of the mounted staple gun of FIG. 1 1, taken along line 1212 thereof;

FIG. 13 is a side elevation of the ball and pipe assembly used to automatically trigger the staple gun of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective of the hot wire assembly of FIG. 10;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective representation of a conveyorcomprising backing assemblies and a two staple-hot wire assembly;

FIG. 16 is a front elevation of the assembly of FIG. 15; and

FIG. 17 is a side elevation of the assembly of FIG. 15.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The manner of using catcher/projectors with an aerial projectile 12 is illustrated in FIG. 1 and reference may be had to the disclosure in US. Pat. No. 2,835,494 for a more detailed description of use. It will be apparent from FIG. 2 that each catcher/projector 10 comprises a pair of manually manipulatable handles in the form of wooden dowels 14 which are interconnected along a substantial portion of their respective lengths by a flexible fabric mesh 16 and by two spaced elastic strands 18 which mesh and strands are secured to the dowels 14 by staples 20. The untensioned length of the spaced elastic strands 18 is less than the length of mesh 16 with which the strands are interwoven in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3. The interweavement of the shorter strands 18 with opposite edges of the mesh thus creates a mesh drape or pocket memory for that mesh pocket delimited by the two dowels and the opposed elastic strands for all positions of the handles 14 except when the mesh is stretched taut between the handles.

An alternate embodiment is shown in FIGS. 4-7 where the mesh is secured to a bipartite plastic handle 22 by interengagement of the mesh interstices with lands and grooves 24, 26 formed in the lower half 28 thereof. Similarly, a knotted end 30 of elastic strand 18 extends through a smaller groove 32. Following assembly of the mesh and strands with the lower half 28 of handle 22, the upper half 34 of the handle is secured in place by an adhesive or the like to complete the securement of the mesh and strands to the handle.

The manner in which the catcher/projector 10 is fabricated and packaged for sale using only a single type, easily applied, inexpensive fastener is illustrated in FIG. 10. A pair of appropriately colored dowels 14 are withdrawn from a sectioned dowel bin 36 and rigidly mounted on a set block or backing assembly 38 in closely spaced parallel relation as best illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. A supply of backing assemblies may be contained within a supply bin 57 (FIG. 10). Each set block 38 includes a fixed end abutment 40 against which one end of the dowel pair is held until the dowel pair is clamped in the position of FIGS. 8 and 9 by a parallel toggle clamp 42. If desired, the dowel pair may be held in position by a suitable power clamp (not shown) associated with the assembly line of FIG. 10, in lieu of the toggle clamp 42. Velcro strips 43 are secured in bridging relation to the dowel pair and act to releasably secure the mesh in superposed relation to the dowel pair at a later assembly stage.

Following the assembly of a dowel pair with a set block 38 in unit-handled relationship at station No. 1, the set block is positioned against the left positioning flange 44 of a set block positioning guide 46 whose right hand positioning flange 48 is spaced from the left flange by a distance which exceeds the width of the set block by a distance equal to the center line spacing between the dowels 14 secured to the set block. The set block positioning guide 46 is, of course, rigid with the assembly platform 50.

An automatic staple gun 52 of the type manufactured by Fastener Corporation of Franklin Park, Ill. under model designation DUO-FAST DIB 3318 or D1833 12, with the trigger arm removed, is mounted for linear travel along guide means 54 in overlying relationship to the center line of one or the other of the set block mounted dowels 14 depending upon which of the flanges 44, 48 is engaged by the set block. An actuation bar 53 is used to automatically trigger the staple gun 52 in a manner hereinafter described. In result, the staple gun 52 is automatically operated by movement along guide 54 and actuator bar 53 to staple an underlying dowel such as the rightmost one shown in FIG. 10 when the set block is positioned against flange 44 as shown in FIG. 10. Prior to the commencement of such a stapling operation, an indefinite length mesh 56 is withdrawn from a bin 58 and releasably secured in overlying relation to the dowels on set block 46 as by forceable engagement with Velcro strips 43 and pins 51 which are at each end of the Velcro strips. The subassembly is then positioned against flange 44, as shown in FIG. 10, and staple gun 52 moved along guide 54 to deliver the row of staples 20 illustrated in FIG. 3. The set block is then shifted to the right against flange 48 and the operation repeated. The set block is next removed to station No. 3 and against a gauging flange 60 at which time a hand manipulatable hot wire 62 is used to sever the mesh between the two dowels 14 mounted on the set block. Prior to the release of the dowel pair from the set block, a second assembly is prepared at station No. 1 and positioned at station No. 2 against flange 44. This assures a proper length of mesh between the leftmost dowel of the first dowel set and the rightmost dowel of the second dowel set since these are the two dowels destined to provide the handles of a single catcher/projector as will be apparent. Thus, with the first dowel set positioned against gauging flange 60 and the second dowel set in a known fixed position atstation No. 2, whether it be against flange 44 or 48, a fixed length of mesh will interconnect each handle pairdestined for use with a single unit. The stapling and severing operations are then repeated for the second dowel set. Following removal of the mesh connected dowel pair from two adjacent dowel sets, lengths of elastic strand are withdrawn from supply roll 64 in lengths somewhat less than the length of the mesh interconnecting the two dowels. The elastic strands are then interweaved with opposite sides of the mesh as clearly shown in FIG. 3. The ends of the strands are then stapled to the dowels with a manual staple gun 66, of conventional design, resiliently supported from a gantry 68 positioned at station No. 4.

After two of the catcher/projectors 10 have been formed in the preceding manner, a projectile 12 is withdrawn from bin 70 at opening 71 and placed in an appropriate container such as a bag along with two of the catcher/projectors and appropriate instructions and literature 72 at station No. 5. The bag is then sealed as by a conventional two staple punch 74 at station No. 6.

The manner of forming an assemblage employing plastic handles is virtually identical to that just described in connection with the dowel handles except that it is the lower halves of the bipartite plastic handles which are initially mounted on the set blocks. The precut length of mesh is manually interengaged with the lands and grooves of the plastic handles at station No. 2. It will be apparent that adjacent mesh interstices are interengaged with both of the closely spaced handle pair halves which are held on the backing assembly at station No. 2. Thereafter, the knotted elastic strands are interweaved with the mesh and interengaged with the respective grooves 32. The upper handle halves 34 are then secured to the lower handle halves. Thereafter, the aforedescribed packaging operation is repeated.

The guide means 54 comprise spaced parallel rods 80 and 82 which are stacked vertically one above another and extend essentially transverse of the assembly table but parallel to and vertically above one or the other dowel depending upon the orientation of the set block 38 in the guide 46. The guide rods 80 and 82 are mounted at their terminal ends in supports 84 and 86 respectively. Support 84 comprises a plate 88 with an extension 90 mounted to a stand 92, comprising parallel plates between which stiffeners (not shown) may stand if desired. The support 86 comprises a vertically erect channel section. The rods 80 and 82 are preferably lubricated and extend through suitable apertures in a pair of plates 94 and 96 forming a bracket rigidly secured to one side of the. vertically oriented staple gun 52 so that as the plates 94 and 96 are moved to and fro along the rods 80 and 82, the staple gun 52 will follow.

The actuation bar 53 is secured at one end to the plate extension 90 and at the other to an extension 98 of the channel section 86. The actuation bar 53 comprises a tubular pipe, the interior of which is hollow and a central section of which has the top portion removed at 100. A series of steel balls 102 are firmly situated in the cut-away portion 100 of the actuation bar 53 so as to present a fixed row of contiguous balls as shown best in FIG. 13. The staple gun 52 has a handle 104 from which an actuation button 106 extends. The trigger of the gun 52 has been removed so that the button 106 rides up and down over the row of balls 102, as shown in solid and dotted lines in FIG. 13 as the button 106 reaches the maximum elevation at the top of a given ball 102, the staple gun 52 will eject a staple into the wooden dowel 14 immediately below so as to secure the mesh to the dowel. The row of balls 102 is situated in respect to the guide 48 so that the first staple is appropriately ejected at the proper location into the dowel 14. In view of the foregoing, the operator merely manually displaces the staple gun 52 along guide rods 80 and 82 in one direction with the set block 38 to one side or the other of the guide 48, causing a row of staples to be driven successively into the dowel 14 immediately below the staple gun 50. Thereafter, the set block 38 is shifted to the opposite position in the guide 46 and the staple gun is displaced manually in the opposite direction causing staples to be successively ejected into the other dowel 14.

The hot wire 62 may be of the configuration shown in FIG. 14. Specifically, a handle 120 is provided, the handle being bifurcated at 122 and 124 with the bifurcation closed at the distal end 126, Consequently the bifurcated sides 122 and 124 together with the end 126 form a hollow cavity with a pair of insulators 128 and 130 suitably mounted by fasteners 132 to one side 122. The fasteners respectively are in electrical connection with wires W2 and W4, which are sheathed at 134 and connected to a suitable source of electrical energy (not shown). The sheath 134 may be wound about the handle 120 several times to prevent exerting tension upon the wires W2 and W4 which might cause them to become separated from the fasteners 132. A U shaped conductor 136 is provided and comprises eyelets at each end which are secured in the illustrated position by the heads of the fasteners 132. The central portion of the U shaped conductor 136 extends well beyond the limits of the frame comprised of sides 122 and 124 as well as end 126. When appropriate electrical energy is conducted to the conductor 136, it will become very hot allowing for rapid severing of the 'mesh 16 upon physical contact.

FIGS. 15-17 illustrate a modified form of the assembly apparatus wherein a plurality of set blocks, each similar to the set block 38 of FIGS. 8 and 9, are hingedly connected together to form an endless belt, as indicated generally at 138 in FIG. 15. The set blocks 38 each have a recess 140 formed in the under side and extending the entire length thereof. At its limits of travel, the endless belt 138 passes around sprockets, as seen at 142, having spaced teeth 144 which engage the leading edges of the recesses 140 and serve to drive the endless belt 138. The sprockets 142 are mounted for rotation on shafts 146 and a suitable motor, not shown, serves to rotate the shafts 146.

Pairs of dowels 14 are positioned on selected ones of the set blocks 38 of belt 138 to provide the desired spacing and are transported by the belt 138 from station No. 1 of FIG. 10 to station No. 2 thereof. At station No. 2, the modified stapling and severing device of FIGS. 15-17 is employed to staple the mesh 16 to both of the dowels 14 and to sever the mesh 16 between the adjacent dowels 14 in a single operation. As shown in FIGS. 15-17, the stapling and severing. device is indicated generally at 148 and comprises a pair of horizontally parallel guide rods 150 and 152 which extend across the endless belt 138, transversely to its direction of travel, and are secured at the opposite ends thereof by supports 84 and 86 of FIG. 11. A generally U-shaped trolley 154 is mounted on the guide rods 150 and 152 and is freely slideable therealong. A pair of staple guns 156 and 158 are supported in tandem relation by the trolley 154 but are slightly offset from each other transversely of the guide rods 150 and 152, as best seen in FIG. 16. The staple guns 156 and 158 are each substantially identical with staple gun 52 of FIG. 1 1. However, staple gun 158 has its handle 104 projecting from the side opposite those of staple guns 52 and 156. The actuating button 106 of staple gun 156 engages the balls 102 of actuation bar 53, in exactly the manner described for staple gun 52. In addition, a second actuation bar 160, which is identical to bar 53, is provided extending parallel to bar 53 on the opposite side of the stapling device 148 and the actuation button 106 of staple gun 158 engages the balls of actuation bar 160 in the manner described above for staple gun 52. As indicated above, the staple guns 156 and are slightly offset and, as best seen in FIG. 16, are arranged so that each of the staple guns 156 and 158 overliesa respective one of the dowels 14 when the set block 38 is in position for the stapling operation, as seen in FIGS. 15 and 16. In addition, a generally U-shaped hot-wire conductor 162 is mounted on the trolley 154 by suitable electrical and thermal insulating means 164 and is connected by suitable conductors, not shown, to an appropriate source of electrical energy, not shown. The

hot-wire conductor 162 depends centrally from the trolley 154 adjacent staple gun 158 and extends downwardly to a point between the dowels 14 on set block 38, as seen in FIGS. 16 and 17.

In use, pairs of dowels 14 are secured to selected set blocks 38 of endless belt 138 at appropriately spaced intervals, as seen in FIG. 15, and are carried by the motion of endless belt 138 to the stapling and severing position, corresponding to station No. 2 of FIG. 10. Once a pair of dowels has been properly positioned, as seen in FIG. 15 and 16, the mesh 56 is drawn over the dowels 14 and secured to the Velero strips 43, as described above. Thereafter, the stapling and severing device 148 is drawn along guide rods 150 and 152 causing stapling guns 156 and 158 and hot-wire conductor 162 to traverse lengthwise of the set block 38. As this occurs, staple guns 156 and 158 will be actuated essentially simultaneously to staple the mesh 56 to the respective dowels 14, while hot-wire conductor 162 will sever the mesh 56 between the dowels 14. TI-Ius, the operations of stations No. 2 and No. 3 of FIG. are performed in a single operation with the stapling and severing device 148 of FIGS. -17. Obviously, this greatly reduces the time and cost of production of the catcher/projectors 10.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects at illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore to be embraced therein.

Iclaim:

l. A method of manufacturing a combined catcher and projector for aerial projectiles, comprising; steps for securing closely spaced pairs of elongate members to an indefinite length of flexible mesh at spaced locations therealong; severing said mesh intermediate each said pair of closely spaced elongate members; interweaving elongate, elastic members with the severed mesh; and securing opposite ends of said elastic members to adjacent pairs of mesh secured elongate members.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said steps include rigidly interconnecting each said closely spaced pair of elongate members with a separate backing assembly.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said steps further include releasably securing said flexible mesh to each said backing assembly in superposed relation to each said closely spaced pair of elongate members.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said steps include securing said mesh to said elongate members by interengaging discrete portions of said mesh and elongate members.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said steps include stapling said mesh to said elongate members.

6. A method of manufacturing a combined catcher and projector for aerial projectiles, comprising; rigidly interconnecting a first pair of elongate members with a backing assembly in closely spaced, parallel, unit-handled relationship; positioning said assembly in a first stapling position at a first stapling station; superposing an indefinite length flexible mesh over a substantial length of said first elongate members and said assembly; stapling said mesh to one of said first elongate members over a substantial length thereof; repositioning said assembly to a second stapling position at said first stapling station; stapling said mesh to the other of said first elongate members over a substantial length thereof; severing said mesh intermediate said first elongate members; rigidly interconnecting a second pair of elongate members with a second backing assembly in closely spaced, parallel, unit-handled relationship; positioning said second assembly in said first stapling position at said first stapling station; superposing said indefinite length flexible mesh over a substantial length of said second elongate members at a position spaced along the length of said indefinite length flexible mesh from a first stapled elongate member; stapling said mesh to one of said second members over a substantial length thereof; repositioning said second assembly to said second stapling position at said first stapling station; stapling said mesh to the other of said second elongate members over a substantial length thereof; severing said mesh intermediate said second elongate members to produce a severed length of mesh stapled to an elongate member at either end thereof; loosely interweaving spaced elastic strands along the length of said severed length of mesh; and stapling said strands to the mesh connected elongate members.

7. The method of claim 6 including the step of releasably securing said indefinite length flexible mesh to each said backing assembly in superposed relation to said pairs of elongate members.

8. The method of claim 6 including the step of positioning the mesh connected elongate members at a second stapling station for stapling said strands thereto.

9. A method of manufacturing a combined catcher and projector for aerial projectiles, comprising:

rigidly interconnecting a first pair of elongate members with a backing assembly in closely spaced, parallel, unit-handled relationship;

positioning said assembly in operating position at a first operating position;

superposing an indefinite length flexible mesh over a substantial length of said elongate members and said assembly;

stapling said mesh to one of said first pair of elongate members over a substantial length thereof;

stapling said mesh to the other of said first pair of elongate members over a substantial length thereof;

severing said mesh intermediate said first pair of elongate members;

repeating the foregoing steps with a second pair of elongate members spaced a selected distance from said first pair of elongate members to produce a severed length of mesh stapled to an elongate member at either end thereof;

loosely interweaving spaced elastic strands along the length of said severed length of mesh;

and fixedly securing said strands to the mesh connected elongate members.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said stapling steps and said severing step are simultaneously performed in a single operation for each respective pair of elongate members. 

1. A method of manufacturing a combined catcher and projector for aerial projectiles, comprising; steps for securing closely spaced pairs of elongate members to an indefinite length of flexible mesh at spaced locations therealong; severing said mesh intermediate each said pair of closely spaced elongate members; interweaving elongate, elastic members with the severed mesh; and securing opposite ends of said elastic members to adjacent pairs of mesh secured elongate members.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said steps include rigidly interconnecting each said closely spaced pair of elongate members with a separate backing assembly.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein said steps further include releasably securing said flexible mesh to each said backing assembly in superposed relation to each said closely spaced pair of elongate members.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said steps include securing said mesh to said elongate members by interengaging discrete portions of said mesh and elongate members.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said steps include stapling said mesh to said elongate members.
 6. A method of manufacturing a combined catcher and projector for aerial projectiles, comprising; rigidly interconnecting a first pair of elongate members with a backing assembly in closely spaced, parallel, unit-handled relationship; positioning said assembly in a first stapling position at a first stapling station; superposing an indefinite length flexible mesh over a substantial length of said first elongate members and said assembly; stapling said mesh to one of said first elongate members over a substantial length thereof; repositioning said assembly to a second stapling position at said first stapling station; stapling said mesh to the other of said first elongate members over a substantial length thereof; severing said mesh intermediate said first elongate members; rigidly interconnecting a second pair of elongate members with a second backing assembly in closely spaced, parallel, unit-handled relationship; positioning said second assembly in said first stapling position at said first stapling station; superposing said indefinite length flexible mesh over a substantial length of said second elongate members at a position spaced along the length of said indefinite length flexible mesh from a first stapled elongate member; stapling said mesh to one of said second members over a substantial length thereof; repositioning said second assembly to said second stapling position at said first stapling station; stapling said mesh to the other of said second elongate members over a substantial length thereof; severing said mesh intermediate said second elongate members to produce a severed length of mesh stapled to an elongate member at either end thereof; loosely interweaving spaced elastic strands along the length of said severed length of mesh; and stapling said strands to the mesh connected elongate members.
 7. The method of claim 6 including the step of releasably securing said indefinite length flexible mesh to each said backing assembly in superposed relation to said pairs of elongate members.
 8. The method of claim 6 including the step of positioning the mesh connected elongate members at a second stapling station for stapling said strands thereto.
 9. A method of manufacturing a combined catcher and projector for aerial projectiles, comprising: rigidly interconnecting a first pair of elongate members with a backing assembly in closely spaced, parallel, unit-handled relationship; positioning said assembly in operating position at a first operating position; superposing an indefinite length flexible mesh over a substantial length of said elongate members and said assembly; stapling said mesh to one of said first pair of elongate members over a substantial length thereof; stapling said mesh to the other of said first pair of elongate members over a substantial length thereof; severing said mesh intermediate said first pair of elongate members; repeating the foregoing steps with a second pair of elongate members spaced a selected distance from said first pair of elongate members to produce a severed length of mesh stapled to an elongate member at either end thereof; loosely interweaving spaced elastic strands along the length of said severed length of mesh; and fixedly securing said strands to the mesh connected elongate members.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein said stapling steps and said severing step are simultaneously performed in a single operation for each respective pair of elongate members. 